Leopard gecko swellings and gunky eyes?

Question

hey im worried about my bfs gecko and wondered if there is anything i can do until i get him to the vet at the weekend.

hes got a very swollen eye which is closed completely and the other one is producing a sticky puss which ive been wiping as regularly as poss. hes also got a swollen neck which isnt hard, this has come up since his eye started playing up (maybe sinuses?). he isnt eating unless we put it on his nose so hes lost some weight over the last week and he wasnt very big to start with so we're just trying to get food in him and keep the eyes clear until the weekend.

are there any home remedies for gunky eyes? also i'd LOVE some recipes of high protein things you've fed your geckos when theyve been ill and unable to hunt and also ways i can feed him apart from putting it on his nose.

thank you so much

Answer 1

There is a chance it has a tumor, or a major infection.  I suggest bringing it to the vet to get some antibiotics.

Answer 2

It sounds like a systemic infection at this point, and the little guy will need some antibiotics, so get him to the vet as quickly as you can.  Is there any way you can take him in before the weekend?  The vet will most likely give you a wash for the eyes, too.

The fact that he's eating is excellent, and if he's weak, and his vision is impaired by the infection, he most likely can't hunt on his own right now.  Save him expending engery he can't afford to, and keep feeding him crickets by touching his nose with them.  Give him as many as he will take.

They should be gut loaded, and also dusted in  a good reptile vitamin (keep it refrigerated) and calcium powder.  A bowl of calcium powder should be provided in the habitat at all times, too.

Keep him warm, make sure his habitat and water are clean.  Keep feeding him all he will eat, and take him to the vet as soon as you can.

GUT LOADING CRICKETS for REPTILES:

The number one problem:

Dried up and malnourished pet store crickets and mealworms. These food items are essentially useless. A dehydrated and unfed cricket contains almost no nutrients at all; refrigerated mealworms are even worse. A lot of the variety in nutrients found in wild insects is actually in the stomach content - usually plant material. We need to duplicate this to provide the best for our reptiles; without the risk of illness/disease/parasites which can result from feeding our pets wild insects.

Please note that wax worms, while fattening, are not nutritious.

Basic Dry/Staple Cricket Food:

Equal amounts of dry Iguana food, dry dog food, chick starter mash, oatmeal (you can add dry baby food wheat/rye/barley, etc. as well; even shredded wheat - no sugar).

Grind these items together.  Place in a small lid/bowl for the crickets to eat.  Store the unused portion in the refrigerator or freezer, until needed.

Supplement daily with one of the following: sweet potato, bananas, zucchini, oranges, carrots, strawberries, assorted squashes (acorn, yellow, etc.), grapefruit, green beans, apples, kale, spinach, cactus pads, and just about any other nutritious item you can think of (do not use white/yellow potatoes - these are starchy and only good if used as a moisture source during shipping, and NEVER use Avacado - it's poisonous to most animals).

Provide the dry food and kale at all times (kale is readily available during the winter months, too), rotating the other food items through in succession. The key is variety, and to provide an assortment of varying nutrients. What you are trying to do is offer your reptiles crickets with guts 'loaded' with fresh foodstuffs.

The crickets should be gut loaded for 2-3 days prior to offering them to your reptiles.

Also, provide fresh clean water in a lid/bowl, adding a sponge or folded paper towel to prevent drowning.

  

Don't offer more crickets than the reptile(s) will consume within: 1.) a few hours if it’s a lizard, salamander, frog/toad, or 2.) a few minutes, if it’s a water turtle, so you know the crickets will still be full of the good stuff when eaten.

Be sure to remove any uneaten crickets so that they do not soil your pet's environment/water or bother your pet, once it is full.  Crickets CAN turn the table - and feast upon your pet! Or aggravate them, causing stress and even cessation of eating.

I hope the little guy recovers quickly/soon, and that this has been helpful.

Answer 3

take him to the vet it is an infection.......when your sick you don't fell like eating but he could be sore and NEED hand feeding until he's better.